Sausage linking



May 12, 1942. w. J. MQCUE 2,282,666 I SAUSAGE LINKING Filed Jan. 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTEJ'T ATTORN EY May 12, 1942.- w. J. MccuE 2,282,666

SAUSAGE LINKING Filed Jan. 30, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AT TEsT- ATTOR N EY Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED "STATE PATENT OFFICE, j

V "SAUSAGE LINKING William James McCue, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Industrial Patents Corporation, Chicago, 111.,

a corporation of Delaware Application January 30, 1939, Serial N0. 253,686

This invention relates to a method of a stuffed sausage casing.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a method of arranging a continuouschain of link lengths of sausage during forming of the links, in aligned pairs of links for mounting of a smoking support. 4 Y

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow.

In the smoking of Frankfurter links, it is the Pen practice to suspend pairs of links astride a support with the twisted casing joining the ends of the suspended links rested against the support, or to suspend two ofgeach four. links of a chain of links astride a support in the form of a. diamond-shaped coil. In accordance with the present invention, a stuffed sausage casing is formed into a continuous chain of links and, at the same time, it is arranged into pairs of links ready for mounting on a smoking support either in the form of pairs of links or in the form of a diamondshaped 0011.. l

Reference is had to the drawings in which like characters of reference, are ,used to designate similar parts.

Figure 1 is a plan viewillustrating one form a modified form of 5'5 Figure 5 is a perspective view exemplifying the first step of the method of the present invention in which a stuffed casing is formed into link lengths and in which the formed links are arranged for mounting on a smoking support.

Figure 6 is a perspective View exemplifying the second step of the method of the present invention.

Figure '7 is a perspective view exemplifying the third step of the method of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a perspective view exemplifying the fourth step of the method of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a perspective View exemplifying the 4 Qlaims. (Cl. 17- 15) treating Figure 11 is a view showing the manner of mounting the arranged links astride a smoking support inthe form of pairs of links.

Figure 12 is a .view showing the manner of mounting the arranged links on a smoking support in the form of a diamondshaped coil.

11 Figure 13 is a view showing the links mounted in the manner exemplified in Figure 11.

Figure 14 is a view showing the links mounted in the manner exemplified in Figure 12.

The device shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a fiat, substantially rectangular surface I divided as by surface markers 2 into not less than four adjacent alleysT'3 arranged inside by side relationship, each of the alleys 3 being of equal width and of a width substantiallyequal to the length of the conventional Frankfurter link.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, surface I may comprise a unit sheet of sheet metal material suitablybent on spaced parallel lines to provide raised surface markers 2, such as, for example, upstanding edge flanges 4 and intermediate inverted V markersi.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, surface l'may comprise a unit sheet of sheet metal material provided with raised surface markers 2 comprising, for example, a plurality of rods 6 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the upper face of surface I along spaced parallel lines.

Thetwo adjacent alleys 1 and 8 are used in the manner exemplified in Figure 5 for measuring off pairs of link lengths of stuffed casing 8 for forming into links Ill and II. The method of measuring and forming the links [0 and H is described and claimed in the cope'nding application of Alonzo Standlee, Serial No. 164,084,

filed September l5, 1937; entitled Linking method.

The two remaining alleys, namelyfalleys12 and l3'are employed for arranging the formed pairs of links for mounting on smoking support IS in the manner exemplified in either Figures 11 and 13 or Figures 12 and 14.

The method of forming the stufied sausage casing 9 into pairs of link lengths and arranging the pairs of link lengths in the alleys I2 and [3 for mounting on smoking support 19 in the manner shown in either Figures 11 and 13 or Figures 12 and 14, comprises first measuring the links l0 and II transversely of the alleys 1 and 8, respectively, in the manner exemplified in Figure 5, and twisting the measured links 10 and H in the manner more specifically described in the said standlee application; second, arranging the pair of link lengths 0 and II in longitudinal end.

whence the links I4 and I5 are arranged longitudinally in end to end relationship transversely of the alleys I2 and I3 and adjacent the links II and I0, respectively, and simultaneously the links I I and I6 are arranged longitudinally in end to end relationship transversely of the alleys l2 and I3 and adjacent the links I4 and I5 respectively, in the manner exemplified in Figure and seventh, repeating the cycle until the forming and arranging of the whole of the stuifed casing 9 is completed. i

Should it be desired to mount the chain of links astride the smoking support IS in the form of pairs of links, the smoking support passed successively beneath the twisted portions I8 of the casing joining the ends of the pairs of links in the manner exemplified in Figure l1, whence the chain of links may be lifted by support I9 from surface I and suspended in the manner shown in Figure 13.

Should it be desired to suspend the chain of links in the form of a diamond-shaped coil, smoking support I9 is passed alternately beneath and above the twisted portions I8 joining the ends of the pairs of links in the manner shown in Figure 12, whence the chain of links may be lifted from surface I and supported in the manner shown in Figure 14.

I claim:

1. In a method for forming a stuffed sausage easing into a continuous chain of links in which the chain of links is gauged and formed in successive pairs of links, the steps of alternately arranging the successive pairs of links for mounting the chain of links on a smoking support which comprise forming a pair of links and arranging the formed links in longitudinal end to end relationship and longitudinally relative to the line of feed of the'stulfed casing, forming the next successive pair of links, folding the last-mentioned pair of links substantially parallel to one another and substantially parallel to the second link of the first-mentioned pair of links, forming the next successive pair of links,

and unfolding the second link of the secondm'entioned pair of links in a manner to arrange the links of the second-mentioned pair of links in longitudinal end to end relationship and substantially parallel to the linksof the first-mentioned pair of links and simultaneously arranging the links of the third-mentioned pair of links in longitudinal end to end relationship and substantially parallel to the links of the second pair of links.

2. In a method for forming a stuffed sausage casing into a continuous chain of links in which the chain of links is gauged and formed in successive pairs of links, the steps of alternately arranging the successive pairs of links for mounting the chain of links on a smoking support which comprise forming a pair of links and arranging the formed links in longitudinal end to end relationship and longitudinally relative to the line of feed of the stuffed casing, forming the next successive pair of links, folding the last-mentioned pair of links substantially parallel to one another and substantially parallel to th second link of the first-mentioned pair of links, forming the next successive pair of links, unfolding the second link of the second-mentioned pair of links in a manner to arrange the links ofthe second-mentioned pair of links in longitudinal end to end relationship and substantially parallel to the links of the first-mentioned pair of links and simultaneously arranging the links of the third-mentioned pair of links in longitudinal end to end relationship and substantially parallelto the links of the second pair of links and thereafter passing a smoking support alternatelybeneath and above the portions of the casing joining the two links of successive "pairs of links whereby alternate pairs of the links are supported astride the support and the chain of links is suspended from the support in the form of a continuous diamondshaped coil. 7 v

3. In the method of forming a stuffed sausage easing into a continuous chain of links in which the chain, of links is gauged and formed in successive pairs of links for mounting the chain of links-on a smoking support which comprises successively forming two successive pairs of links longitudinally of the line of feed of the stuffed casing, folding the second pair of formed links in longitudinal end to end relationship substantially parallel to the links of the first pair of formed links, repeating the operation untilthe whole of the stufi'ed casing has been similarly formed and folded into pairs of link lengths,

and thereafter passing asmoking support alternately beneath and above the portion of the casing joining the two links of eachv pair of links whereby alternate pairs of the links are supported astride the support and the chain of links is suspended from the support in the form of a continuous diamond-shaped coil.

4. The method of treating sausage which comprises forming a stuffed sausage casing into a continuous chain of links, arranging the links into a plurality of pairs in which the individual links of each pair are in longitudinal end to end relationship and the pairs are substantially parallel and thereafter passing a smoking support alternately beneath and above the portion of the casing joining the two links of each pair of links whereby alternate pairs of the links are supported astride the suppport and the chain of 7 links is suspended from the support in the form of a continuous diamond-shaped coil.

WILLIAM JAMES McCUE. 

